NYC to Republicans: Stop playing chicken with Homeland Security funding
Funding set to expire Saturday; Could affect Sandy payments
New York City officials called on the GOP to “stop playing politics with Americans’ safety” and allow funding to go through for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) — the government agency responsible for the security of our country’s critical infrastructure, borders, airports and ports.
DHS is facing a shutdown at midnight on Saturday unless a new funding bill is passed. But Republicans have added a rider to the funding bill that would prevent the enforcement of President Barack Obama’s executive order on immigration, bringing the bill to a dead stop in the Senate.
Officials say thousands of employees are facing furlough. Thousands more — those considered critical to national security — may be forced to work without pay until the mess is straightened out. These include TSA employees at airports, the Coast Guard and the Secret Service.